The Dirt Road

April 2008 By TONY QUIROGA

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Jerky boys: With the arrival of its dual-clutch seven-speed transmission, BMW may be closer to admitting that its sequential manual gearbox, as seen in the M5 and M6, among others, was not the greatest idea for a high-performance production car. The new gearbox—dubbed M double-clutch transmission with Drivelogic, or M DKG Drivelogic—will debut as an option, not yet priced, in the new M3. It is similar in concept to Volkswagen’s DSG. Aside from quicker shifts, the new gearbox will eliminate the jerkiness and rough shifts of the single-clutch SMG, a transmission that very nearly ruins the M5 and M6 for street use. Several settings for shift speed and clutch takeup will be offered in full-automatic and manual modes. BMW is also promising a launch-control setting to make a perfect drag-racing launch much easier. With the introduction of this double-clutch transmission, the detested single-clutch sequential manual of the M5 and M6 will eventually die, most likely without a whimper.

Right time: Oklahoma has begun to enforce section 41-11-301 of its own laws. And what might that involve? It’s an all-important, rarely enforced law that calls for motorists driving below the speed of traffic to stay in the right lane unless passing. Here’s the exact wording for all you aspiring litigators: “Upon all roadways any vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place under the conditions then existing shall be driven in the right-hand lane when available for traffic.” Aside from the obvious traffic benefit, the law is intended to make it easier for emergency vehicles to get to their destinations. Many states have a similar law on their books, but they’re usually ignored. Left-lane-blocking Oklahomans can look forward to paying $206 for the offense.

Steal this car: OnStar, the GPS-based device that can do everything from detecting a crash to unlocking your car, is about to get a new capability. Should your OnStar-equipped vehicle be stolen, the new Stolen Vehicle Slowdown technology will be able to reduce engine power and gradually bring the car to a stop. Here’s how it works: Car 54 spots your stolen car and calls OnStar, which then reduces engine power via a connection to the engine computer until the car comes to a stop, thus putting World’s Scariest Police Chase out of business. OnStar already provides Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance, which can locate a stolen car (or find a car that you’re too hungover to look for). GM is planning to offer Stolen Vehicle Slowdown on all its 2009 models.

Saleen raises its aim: Although founder Steve Saleen resigned last year, his house of faster Mustangs just celebrated its 25th birthday with a fancy soirée at its headquarters in Troy, Michigan. The party included the unveiling of an upscale version of the S302E, called the Saleen Sterling Edition. The S302E is Saleen’s most potent Mustang, with a Lysholm screw-type supercharger summoning 620 horsepower from its 4.9-liter 24-valve Ford V-8. The Sterling Edition doesn’t add to that prodigious output, but it does add a lot of frippery—supple black leather, lots of Alcantara, the first pushbutton start in any Mustang, deep silver finish, billet anniversary badges, and a sterling-silver dash plaque—silver for the silver anniversary, get it? How much do the extras add to the bottom line? A standard S302E goes for about 80 large. The Sterling Edition will be “right on six figures,” according to former Ford product-development chief Chris Theodore, who is now Saleen’s vice-chairman and chief technical officer. Only 25 Sterling Editions are planned.

Deathrace 2000: Speaking of bad decisions, the Ottawa Citizen reports that an 18-year-old male challenged an unmarked police car to a drag race. The teen, behind the wheel of a 2008 Chrysler 300, reached speeds near 100 mph and was quickly pulled over by the unmarked patrol car he tried to race. The officer arrested the teen, suspended his license, and impounded his car (of course, it was his parents’ car—he’s not crazy). If convicted, the kid faces a minimum fine of $2000 Canadian.

Phaeton return: Volkswagen’s colossally expensive and slow-selling Phaeton may get another crack at the U.S. market if the head of VW’s supervisory board, Ferdinand Piëch, has his way. This is not a bit surprising as it was Piëch’s idea to build the thing in the first place, and not just in any old German town but in a fantastic wood-floored glass factory in the once-glorious city of Dresden. Bringing back the Phaeton to the U.S. may be part of the grand revival. If we don’t get the current Phaeton, we certainly will be getting the next generation, now being designed. One proposal has the next Phaeton as a five-door luxury hatchback; another casts the big car as a low-roof four-door sedan. The next Phaeton will be built off an enlarged version of Audi’s A4 platform and should debut in 2012.

More power to Escape: For 2009, Ford is beefing up the powertrains of the Mercury Mariner and Ford Escape SUVs. A new 170-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder replaces the previous 153-hp, 2.3-liter four-cylinder; torque increases from 152 pound-feet to 166. Six-cylinder models get a 30-hp bump to 230, thanks to new pistons and cylinder heads and revised fuel injection. Both engines will get a six-speed automatic transmission that replaces a four-speed unit.